Stress Test: New Study Finds Seals are Stressed-Out by Sharks (video)

Caption

While a little added stress may be helpful to flee a dangerous situation, or to meet an approaching deadline, it's no secret that prolonged exposure to the stress hormone cortisol is linked to health problems. So, what effects does stress have on animals in the wild that need to navigate the same waters as the ocean's top predator-- great white sharks?
Predator s are known to impact the population abundances of their prey by killing and consuming them. But can predators in the wild also exert control over their prey from the stress associated with living in high-risk waters?
Watch the video to learn more about the study.
The study, titled "Physiological stress responses to natural variation in predation risk: evidence from white sharks and seals," was published on December 1 in the journal Ecology, DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2049.

Credit

Usage Restrictions

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.